It’s been just over a week since Jordan and I got back from Bath, and I wanted to share some of the places we visited, plus some of the ones that we didn’t have time to make it to.

But let’s start with the obvious – Bath is bloody GORGEOUS and one of the loveliest places I’ve ever been to in the UK. It’s been recommended to me by a couple of different people as I’m a big fan of York and Edinburgh and I’m already planning our next trip back. We were only there for a couple of nights so didn’t visit all of the places that we wanted to but that’s the best excuse to visit again.

I’ve decided to split our trip into three different parts – where to go, where to eat and drink and where to stay, so make sure you come back to check out the rest.

–

Pulteney Bridge

This bridge crosses the River Avon and is just outside the city centre, less than 5 minutes from the main shopping streets. We stumbled onto it by chance, and it reminded me of the Ponte Vecchio in Florence with shops on either side. There was also a park by the banks of the river which I think would be lovely to visit in summer, but this time it was beautiful and a really peaceful part of the city and I enjoyed walking down it at sunset – a definite (and free!) must-see.

Royal Crescent

Before I visited Bath, the Royal Crescent was the first thing that sprung to mind, so I knew it was one of the places I wanted to visit whilst we were there. It’s a very grand array of houses in a crescent shape and is pretty spectacular. If you’re feeling extra fancy, there are a couple of hotels and spas along the row – perfect for a special occasion!

Roman Baths

You definitely can’t go to Bath without visiting the Roman Baths – the clue is in the name! They are located right in the centre of the city and are one of the main attractions to visit. You may have to queue a while for tickets, so my advice would be to book ahead of time if possible or get there early. The baths themselves are steeped in history too, so make sure you take your audio guide.

Thermae Spa

This is one of the attractions that we didn’t get chance to visit, and one of the main reasons I’d love to go back. The Thermae Spa is a naturally heated spa and rooftop pool and is Britain’s only one – pretty cool right? From looking at the pictures, it looks like absolute heaven and a tranquil paradise about the hustle and bustle down below.

Bath Abbey

You could see the Abbey (located next to the Roman Baths) from our hotel room as it is one of the tallest buildings in the centre of Bath. We first walked past the Abbey on the first evening we were there, and it was absolutely stunning lit up by the moonlight. An attraction that is definitely worth a visit.

Jane Austen Centre

As a bit of a literature geek, I knew I wanted to visit the Jane Austen centre whilst we were in Bath. The museum was only small, but if you’re a fan of her works, then I would highly recommend it. It’s located about a 5-minute walk away from the main streets, but really easy to find.

Boat Tour

Unfortunately, when we visited Bath, it was the down season of the boat trips, which is a shame, because I think it’s a great way to see a city. The boats run from April to October, so hopefully, it will be something we can do next time we go – another excuse to get another trip in the diary!

Shops

Going to a city that has shops that we don’t have in Manchester always excites me far more than it should – I’m mainly talking about Anthropologie and Tiger. I was really impressed by the shopping in Bath as it ranged from Primark, all the way up to Jo Malone, and everything in between. I’m also a huge fan of shops being outside, which Bath has many of and they’re all beautifully laid out so it never felt too crowded.

Secret Squares

Although I’m going to do a separate post on where to eat in Bath, I wanted to mention Milsom Place as it was such a lovely little square, and we stumbled across it by chance. It had restaurants such as Cau and Jamie’s Italian, but also a couple of independent places, and it was such a cute space, tucked away from the main streets. The other square which was really quaint was Abbey Green which had its own fudge shop and a lovely pub.

I hope you have enjoyed the first of my Bath City Guides – make sure you come back to read the rest! I’ll also be sharing where to eat and drink and our experience at SACO Apartments.

If you have any questions on where to go in Bath, you can always go to the Visit Bath website which has all the information of the tourist attractions.

And in the blink of an eye, we’re over halfway through February – how did that happen?

This last week has flown by, and I started to feel a bit run down towards the end of it, but hopefully, I’m on the mend!

Lighter Mornings

This week I’ve really noticed the lighter mornings and that it isn’t as dark when I’ve been leaving work, and it’s put me in the best mood. As much as I love winter, I really can’t wait for spring this year and making the most of the longer, warmer days.

Tre Ciccio

On Tuesday, I joined some of my favourite blogging girls for the opening of Tre Ciccio in Altrincham. It’s really lovely when something new opens in my hometown as I love supporting local businesses. We started with a bread basket, breadcrumbed mozzarella, different fried fish and for the main course, I had a margarita pizza which was hands-down one of the best pizzas I’ve ever had – I can’t wait to go back!

Pancakes

Because I was out on Tuesday evening, Jordan and I decided to make pancakes on Wednesday instead – romantic hey? We had a couple of different toppings, and they were delicious. It’s definitely made me remember how easy they are to make!

Brunch

It was one of my friend’s birthday’s on Saturday, so we met for brunch at Trof in the Northern Quarter with a group of her friends. I went for mackerel with poached eggs on toast and it was a great alternative to salmon that I usually get.

Shoot

After brunch, I met up with my old friend Matty for a photo shoot in Manchester. We had so much to catch up on as he’s getting married at the end of this year, and I hadn’t seen him since I’d been engaged. We took some photos around Manchester and it was such a fun afternoon. He’s already sent me some of the edited ones, and I love them – I can’t wait to share them on here and my Instagram.

Cafe 19

I met up with Hannah later on Saturday for a catch up over tea and cake as I hadn’t seen her since the start of the year. We went to 19 Cafe Bar, where we had the best brunch before Christmas. We shared a lemon and earl grey cake as well as a salted caramel brownie and both had a chai latte, which is now my new favourite thing.

Lunch With Parents

Towards the end of the week, I was getting bored of staying in the office over lunch so I went for lunch at my parent’s house on Friday afternoon, which was a lovely way to round off the week.

Spa Day

It was my other friend’s birthday on Saturday as well, so we went to Shrigley Hall for a spa day and Sunday lunch. We spent a few hours in the spa and had tea and birthday cookies, before heading to the restaurant for a three-course Sunday lunch, which was delicious. I went for a salmon fishcake, seabass and white chocolate parfait with a macaroon and a red wine.

Whether you’re new to the blogging game, or you’ve been a part of this world for a while, chances are you will have heard of the legend that isQueen Beady.

When I decided to do this series on my blog, Bee was someone who I definitely wanted to feature because she has inspired me in so many ways during my years in the bloggersphere, and I know she is highly regarded in the online world.

Her blog is a mixture of travel, fashion and all of the life inspiration, and having met the lovely lady herself at an event last month, I can confirm that she is as fabulous in real life as she is on screen.

Get ready to be inspired by – Queen Beady

1. Hey Bee, thanks for being the second guest of #BeInspiredBy – Can you tell us a bit about yourself and your blog?

Hi Ellie, thanks for having me as your guest! I’m a 28-year-old Blogger from Yorkshire. I love the outdoors and find myself travelling as much as I can with my husband, and I also have a penchant for shopping too (my wardrobe can vouch for that.) One way or another I’m either reaching for my Barbour jacket to go walking, booking my next getaway or being (caught) found online shopping!

In 2017 the direction of my blog became very clear to me, my love for slow living, the countryside and UK & world travel became a focus for many blog posts! My blog now focusses mainly on “Slow and Stylish Adventuring” – I’m all about enjoying life to its fullest by exploring the world stylishly, be it abroad or close to home. I showcase cosy retreats, to luxury hotels to my escapades abroad.

Not only that, I throw in a few style, lifestyle and think pieces in there when I want to mix my content up a bit.

2. You’ve been in the blogging game for a few years now. How would you say your writing style has evolved?

Oh my goodness, I really do feel like an old-timer. My blog was born in 2011 and boy, has it changed?! Back when I started writing I wrote how I spoke, and I still do to some ends. However, I think now I enjoy the storytelling aspect of it. I think that’s how I found my voice really develop over the last year or so, and it was so natural when it evolved that way.

3. Your husband takes a lot of your blog photography – do you have any tips for other Instagram husbands out there?

Bless him, he has had many years of practice now. And he’s just about got it. When I started investing in lenses and got my 55mm – 250mm lens, he started showing more of interest in photography as well, he’s a very technical person so he enjoyed getting his teeth into that.

I occasionally show him photos and images from Instagram of how I’d like him to angle the camera and where I’d like to get the shot. A lot of the time though I often make him the model of my photos first and show him what I took so he can try to replicate it afterwards.

When he realised that I was starting to take my blog more seriously as a side hustle, he instantly became my cheerleader and wanted to make my content as good as it could be (to the best of his ability as a non-trained photographer!)

4. You spoke at the icelolly.com ‘Blog At The Beach’ event last month (which I attended and you were FAB!) Could you give the readers your three top tips for reaching out to brands?

Thank you so much – that was such an amazing experience and the feedback has been absolutely tremendous!

I’m hugely passionate about using your 9-5 skills when pitching to brands – use those strengths to make your pitch stand out. I was in the travel industry for 8 years, so my knowledge of what people want to know when reading a travel blog post is key. It’s a fabulous point I like to make when pitching to travel brands that sways it in my favour.

Secondly, I’d say work out what your three unique selling points are. Those achievements are amazing, but they also need to translate to brands that they will give them results. For example, one of mine is that I won a Blog Award for my Photography, when I pitch to brands, I can say that my photography is well-regarded in the industry and one of the main reasons why people come to my blog. The result is that I’m going to create some amazing imagery for their brand, that will entice people to engage with it.

And finally, lay out your proposal in a clear and concise way when you’d done your introduction. Bullet points listing what your blog can offer in exchange for whatever it is you wish to collaborate on is so much easier to read than more waffling. Keep your pitch simple, don’t bombard them with too much information but make sure they know why you are a good fit!

5. Let’s talk about social media – what would you say is your favourite channel and why?

Instagram. Without a shadow of a doubt. It’s a platform that generates so much positivity compared to Twitter where everyone’s bashing each other, drama llama. And it’s so much better than Facebook because you don’t get the cringey parents on it!

I’m a very visual person too, and I love nothing more than taking photos, editing them and uploading them. I’ve become quite inclined to the term “micro-blogger” as it gives me chance to add snippets of the experiences I am having in real time, rather than uploading all my images to my computer, editing the photos, writing a long, wordy post a week or so later. It’s convenient and so many people are switched on to things that are fast fodder nowadays.

6. How do you see your blog progressing in the future? Is your end game to take it full-time?

Never say never. But at the moment, I am quite happy having it as a side hustle – especially now I have a direction with my content strategy.

I can deal with my own company so I think the transition to going to be a full-time blogger would be quite easy, but it would also be nice to have a blogger friend that lived on my doorstep where we could just go grab a coffee and write posts together and take photos all day long.

Luckily, for the time being, a lot of the trips I make for my blog content can be done over weekends, I can meet my photographer during my lunch breaks and my evenings can be spent typing away.

7. Travel is such a huge part of your life. Is there a particular brand you would love to work with in the future?

Gosh, there are so many. I recently worked with a dream brand, the North Star Club and it has been one of my most successful posts to date. But, for the future I’m going to have to narrow it down to three!

I’d love to work with a brand like Kuoni, who specialise in luxury, tailor-made holidays all over the world.

A dream of mine has always been to travel to Canada, so the Rocky Mountaineer would be an aspiring brand to work with.

And finally, InnTravel would be another, purely because they offer so many great tours but they take a slightly slower-paced approach to travel, compared to other tour companies, and I am all about that slow living vibe!

8. And finally, what is your biggest achievement in the blogging world?

Honestly, picking up my laptop and writing all those years ago and still continuing to do it 7 years later. I’m terrible at sticking things out, so, my blog is proof that if I’m dedicated to the cause I can most definitely do it.

Winning my blog award at the Bloggers Blog Awards was also a huge milestone for me. When I was nominated it kind of gave me this validation that I was finally good at something, you know. It felt good to finally believe in myself after so long.

–

And there you have it – I told you you’d come away feeling a wave of inspiration; Bee has that effect on people.

I hope you enjoyed today’s post, and I already can’t wait for the next one in this series!

I flew up to Edinburgh on Monday for a couple of days as I was working up there, and it made me remember how much I absolutely love the city. I wasn’t there for too long and didn’t have too much free time, but being back up there has made me want to visit even more this summer with Jordan.

Dishoom

Whilst I was in Edinburgh, I met up with one of my best friends, Lauren, who lives in the city, with my friend, Alex, who I was working up there with. We chose to go to Dishoom as they had both been before and said how amazing it was, and they were right! We shared the chilli cheese toast, and I went for the paneer curry, and the food was incredible. I really hope they come to Manchester one day!

Pilates

You might have heard me talk recently on Social Media that I’ve found a new love of working out at home, and this week I tried my first Pilates class, and I loved it. I’m really enjoying trying exercises I usually never would, and I’m looking forward to sampling more.

It’s Always The Husband

Book reviews are something I’ve been thinking about doing on here for a little while, but it’s taken me a few weeks to get into the swing of reading before bed almost every night. I’ve just finished reading ‘It’s always the husband‘ by Michele Campbell, and I couldn’t put it down. If you’re looking for something gripping, give this a go.

Kiehl’s Ultra Facial Cream

I’ve been really lucky to be a Kiehl’s representative for the past 7 months, and even luckier that they regularly send me products to try. This week I’ve really been loving their ultra facial cream, which I use as a moisturiser, and it’s been helping my dry skin during this cold spell we’ve been going through.

Salted Caramel Green Tea

I’m a big tea drinker, and although I would usually choose peppermint over a normal green tea, I tried the Twinings salted caramel flavour this week, and it was lovely. I think it will be a good thing to have when I’m craving something sweet in the afternoons.

Bath

I’ve got a couple of posts in the pipeline about my weekend in Bath, but I couldn’t write my Weekly Love post without mentioning it because we had such a good time. The city was absolutely stunning, and it was lovely to spend some quality time with the other half after a few hectic weeks.

Coming Home

As much as I love travelling, there really is nothing better than coming home (mainly to see the cats). We arrived back home early Sunday evening, and it felt good to have a couple of hours of downtime before starting to think about the work week ahead. UK travel is definitely something I want to do more of this year, especially because you can do it within one weekend.